A variety of crops, such as corn and cotton, are typically planted in rows. As a result, the harvesting machine is also equipped with a harvesting head or header specifically configured to harvest the row crop. A conventional row crop header includes a plurality of adjacent row units corresponding to the number of crop rows to be harvested by the header during a single pass across the field. To ensure that the row units align with the crop rows as the harvesting machine crosses the field, adjacent row units are spaced apart from one another based upon the spacing of adjacent crop rows.
During the growing season, wind and other elements often cause the row crops to bend sideways or toward the ground. As a result, headers are usually provided with divider shields or other lifting structures adjacent each row unit. The divider shields raise the downed crop off the ground and ensure that the downed crop is properly directed into the row unit.
An example of a crop typically planted in rows is corn. Corn is conventionally planted in rows having a spacing of greater than 20 inches. However, recent research on the spacing of corn rows has indicated special benefits for narrower row spacings that are 12-16 inches apart. In addition to the obvious increase in yield and crop population, these benefits include improved erosion control and better weed control. The narrower rows also require less chemicals and pesticides per unit of yield, thereby benefiting the environment.
Unfortunately, conventional corn harvesting headers are not well-adapted for harvesting corn rows having a spacing of 16 inches or less. Because the row units of conventional corn heads are spaced for corn rows having a spacing of 20 inches or greater, the row units cannot be aligned with the more closely spaced corn rows. Moreover, due to current minimal spacing requirements for each row unit, the row units cannot be positioned closer to one another to accommodate the more closely spaced corn rows. Because of the misalignment between the row units and the corn rows, the divider shields severely bend and deform the misaligned cornstalks of the corn rows as the harvesting machine crosses the field. The severe bending or deformation of the cornstalks often causes the cornstalks to bend or break. More importantly, the severe deformation of the cornstalk often causes the stalks to lose their ears of corn prior to entering the row unit. Consequently, the ears of corn are wasted on the ground, resulting in poor harvesting efficiency.